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VALSPAR CHAMPIONSHIP

March 13, 2016

Bill Haas

Palm Harbor, Florida

BRIAN DECKER: You know, gave yourself a chance to win today. What are the positives you take away from this week?

BILL HAAS: My putting was really good. It was a hard day. Hats off to Charl for a 67. I can't imagine -- I bet there wasn't a lower score and if there was, maybe early but it was blowing all day.

It was just a hard, probably the hardest day of the four and certainly I felt like I was in the lead all day and so I always had that feeling of don't lose this thing, you know.

The second shot at 16 is going to bug me and certainly obviously the playoff. That bunker shot, a 12 handicapper could have done that. That was pretty bad.

Trying to kind of make it but also I wanted to give myself a par because I thought his putt was a tough putt. I thought a 4 go to the next hole. Disappointed that ball came out like it did.

BRIAN DECKER: Few quick questions, guys.

Q. You said it was difficult with the weather the way it was. Are you just thinking just try to make par and survive out there? What is the game plan when you tee off on a day like this?
BILL HAAS: Little bit. The hard holes certainly par is your goal. Like No. 1 right out of the gate I hit two great shots and three-putted. Not that you didn't go back and blame the first hole today but there you go. There's one shot.

But I made a nice par save at 15 and then 17 and 18 in regulation, very makeable chances and then the one on the last hole I thought I made. Not necessarily the one you make all the time but gave myself a chance.

Just didn't -- obviously Charl had the mentality of needing to shoot a good score and he did and that was a hard thing to do. I had the mentality if I shoot even par I win. Pars were kind of good. But easier said than done. If I can say I'm just going to par every hole, that's a hard thing to do.

Q. Bill, are you going to walk away thinking you lost it or Charl put a great round together?
BILL HAAS: I mean I won't beat myself up too bad. I got to give Charl the credit. Then again, yeah, I mean three holes to go I got a one shot lead and hit a great tee shot at 16, maybe the hardest shot of the day and hit a beautiful shot in the middle of the fairways. I'm licking my chops a little bit.

Felt really good and confident. I don't know. 16 I was aiming left of the hole and trying to hold one against the wind. Just pushed it pretty bad. Hit it into a spot that was really difficult up and down. I don't know what else to say.

17 that putt I hit was right in the heart. I just needed to hit it a little harder. Everybody said that all week.

Graham played better than I did today. Seemed like so many putts he hit left them short and missed a couple short ones. Just a tough week to get the ball to the hole especially on putts like that on 17 and the one I had on 18, hard to get it up there.

Q. Could you just speak how hard it is to win on the PGA TOUR, it took you awhile to break through?
Charl won a Masters and taken him awhile to win a second one. Just the difficulty of what it takes to win a tournament out here.

BILL HAAS: So hard. I think Charl just won a couple weeks ago.

Q. Not on this Tour. South Africa.
BILL HAAS: He plays a lot overseas. He only plays Majors and WGCs over here, a few of these events. He's extremely good.

Handful of guys you like to watch hit balls on the range and he's one of them. But it's so hard. I mean take the whole day, I felt like I was just hanging on by a thread and I made some nice par saves and grinding my butt off.

But, with that said, I was one putt away from winning and so you got to take the positives and say that you can do it. I hit a great iron at 17. A decent iron at 18. I thought I made the putt to win.

I'm not going to say that I gave it to him but I certainly could have shot better than 1-over today I think.

Q. He made one crazy, long birdie putt today that broke six feet.
BILL HAAS: That stuff happens. That's what winners do and winners don't bogey two of their last four holes they play.

BRIAN DECKER: One more quickly, guys.

Q. How did the tournament treat you, Bill? What's your feeling about this place?
BILL HAAS: Fantastic. I love the area. Inside the gates here it's just pure golf. We're playing the best golf course we play in Florida and it's probably in the Top-5, Top-10 courses we play on Tour.

So, certainly we love to see the greens get a little healthier. That's just the nature of growing grass. You never know. And they did the best they could with what they had. I liked them. I putted fine on them. I can't complain about them.

But the layout of the golf course is one of the best we play and you're seeing it with 7-under winning. Whistling Straits, 20-under won and you got a place here in Florida right off Highway 19 that's taking 7-under to win. The place here should be pretty proud.

BRIAN DECKER: Thanks very much, guys.

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